


For Forever

by evaunit0



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Crushes, First Kiss, M/M, Making Out, Song Lyrics, i know this song is angsty but this fic is not i promise, sheithpositivityweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-06 09:26:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11597769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evaunit0/pseuds/evaunit0
Summary: Lyrics from Dear Evan Hansen & characters from Voltron: LD. Written for Sheith Positivity Week Day 1:Sky/Sea.





	For Forever

Keith hated crying.

He hated how hot his face would get, how his eyes began to burn, and how his throat would close. He hated that he didn't feel in control, even for a moment.

He felt so stupid.

The Kerberos Mission team was announced over the Garrison's broadcast screens during their first period, and hundreds of national news stations flew in in order to cover the story.

And sure enough, moments later, Keith watched along with an entire lecture hall as Shiro step on stage to join Professor Holt and Matt, shaking hands, nodding. Samuel was giving a formal speech on behalf of the Garrison institute and his crew, and Shiro's smile was straight as it was on the school's brochure photos. A quick glance at the camera and a hearty wave had multiple students fawning, and the small din of whispering began throughout the room.

But Keith didn't want to cry - not then.

He wanted to puke.

Without asking, Keith pushed back his chair and shoved his way out of the lecture hall. He knew people would talk - they always did. Everyone knew how much time he and Shiro spent together; how the only pilot to match Shiro's scores was abrasive to anyone but him. The first time Shiro had told Keith about the rumors - rumors implicating that they were _involved_ \- they both laughed lightly, sitting together on Shiro's bed over their take-out dinner.

Keith didn't realize the irony of it until now.

Pushing the bathroom door open, he was lucky that all the stalls were vacant during the telecast. He went to the end and locked the door, letting his chin fall against his chest, and his breathing stabilize - he hadn't even noticed he was on the verge of hyperventilating.

Keith really liked Shiro. More than Shiro liked him; he was sure.

But that didn't really matter, especially not with him going on a mission for two years.

Distantly, he heard the intercom come on before the second bell, offering: "A congratulations to Officers Holt, Shirogane, and Professor Holt on their upcoming, landmark exploration."

Keith felt himself gag.

Of course they had talked about the mission together. Keith was the first person Shiro had told when he applied - even before he called his mom - and it was Keith that sat outside the interview room with him, helped him rehearse his lines, and proofread his application until the words meant nothing.

Keith knew Shiro would have done it all for him, too.

He could still feel the first time Shiro had hugged him, lifting him up in a bear grip after he had made it past the first round of eliminations. Keith had the breath knocked out of him, face going red as Shiro scooped him up in the middle of the hall, grappling his shoulders when he set him back down. "I made it, Keith! I made it. Thank you."

Hardly breathing, Keith managed to mumble, "Shiro, it was all you. It's you they want."

Shiro took Keith's books out of his hands, and tucked them under his arm. Keith felt his other hand settle on his back, pushing him forward. "No, Keith. They said I sounded rehearsed and conducted, and I told them it was because of you," Shiro smiled down at Keith, still red, and laughed. "Come on, we'll talk about it tonight - you're going to be late for your next class. We'll watch a movie in my room?"

Keith nodded helplessly as Shiro opened his class door for him, ushering him in with a pass of his books. That's when Keith knew he was fucked. That night, he couldn't concentrate on the movie, or anything Shiro was saying. He watched his chest, his hands, his mouth. Keith pushed the Kerberos mission as far away as possible.

So technically, Keith had always known the probable outcome of this - that Shiro would have to leave if he got the job. He just refused to mention it in front of Shiro.

But Shiro, conscious as ever, saw how much Keith cringed when the subject was broached in public by another party. Shiro always noticed Keith, and Keith couldn't stand it; he acted like he wanted to protect Keith from everything, and that was impossible.

Keith was bound to get hurt sooner or later.

And now, it would be by Shiro.

_Quoting songs by our favorite bands_  
_Telling jokes no one understands_  
_Except us two_  
_And we talk and take in the view_

"Keith."

He didn't bother looking up. Shiro knew he would be here, and Keith knew he'd find him here. Inwardly cursing himself, he closed his eyes. With Shiro, he always _wanted_ to be found.

"Keith, I checked your log today. You can't miss classes just because you're upset with me."

Shiro was still wearing his uniform - Keith could tell from the smell of rubber shoes as Shiro moved to stand behind him. It had obviously been a long day for him.

Keith felt like a piece of shit. He sighed and stood; his legs were shaky, and Shiro caught his elbow before Keith could even tell he was off-balance. In retrospect, he shouldn't doze off on the dorm roof, but everyone had their vices.

After all, it was Shiro who had kept coming back here to see him when they first met.

And with flight school, Keith couldn't help he was addicted to the inky black sky.

Shiro still had hold of his elbow, and dragged him towards a cooling unit to sit down. The metal was ice cold, and even through his uniform pants, Keith shivered. He had thrown his orange jacket in his room before heading up here, ignoring the stares he got as a cadet clad only in his thin, white undershirt.

He knew he could have gotten a discipline slip, but all the officers were at a celebration for Shiro.

Well, the entire Kerberos crew. But it was hard to think of anyone but Shiro being taken away from him.

While Keith huffed, he felt Shiro's jacket settle onto his shoulders. It was heavy and stiff, but Keith almost immediately doubled it around himself, deciding to scoot closer to Shiro for warmth.

And he tried to make his mind ignore the slight smile Shiro gave him.

Desert nights were cold, and the sky was hazy with the Garrison's fluorescent lights obscuring the view. Although everyone was required to know all eighty-eight constellations, they only knew them from pictures and videos. They were in the open desert, but it was impractical to shut off the school's lights for a late-night astronomy session.

Still, Shiro was always looking up.

"I'm sorry, Shiro," Keith blurted, turning to face him. Shiro was already looking at him, and it made Keith blush. He continued only after moving to look out into the desert. "I made today about myself, and I _know_ I still need to congratulate you, I-"

"I'm tired of congratulations," Shiro interrupted. Keith was surprised. Shiro never cut him off - he always let him talk through everything. Shiro gave a weak smile at Keith's confusion. "No, really. I am. I just want to relax for a while before this all starts again. Every day until launch day," He sighed. "And then when I get back."

Keith looked at Shiro's face. He knew the pressure that was on him to still be the Garrison's golden boy even after graduation, but Keith hadn't known it was causing him this much stress. It wasn't natural for Shiro to be stressed.

Shiro rubbed his temples with his fingers, resting his forehead in his hands. "I've been having nightmares," He whispered. "I didn't think they'd choose me. I _don't_ know why they chose me. I'm a fighter pilot, and the entire mission is just collecting samples on a desolate moon. I don't get it."

"Shiro-" Keith began, but he wasn't good at talking through emotions. He could hardly handle his own. Instead, he slid out of Shiro's jacket, and pressed into his side, trying to wrap this arms tight as possible around him.

He could feel Shiro's intake of breath as he squeezed him, and his heart thudding against his arms. Gently, Shiro leaned into Keith's hold, resting his chin on top of his head.

"Shiro," Keith knew he could only say this mumbling into Shiro's chest. "I'm so happy for you, and-" Keith buried his face further into Shiro's shirt, murmuring. "Proud of you."

Keith felt Shiro's grip tighten, but it took him a moment before Keith could identify the small shakes coming from Shiro's back. Untangling himself, Keith looked up at Shiro, tears streaking down his face quickly as summer rain.

Without letting himself think, Keith cupped Shiro's face in his hands, using his thumbs to wipe away the spilling tears. Unfortunately, Shiro began crying more, and Keith gave up, instead letting his hands move to the base of his neck, cradling his nape and playing with the ends of his hair.

"Hey, Shiro," Keith tried, bringing his legs up onto the air unit to slide closer to him. "Shiro, you're going to be fine. I'm going to be here when you get back," Keith tried to make himself smile. "And I'll have graduated, too."

Shiro pulled Keith against him, practically landing him on his lap. His voice was wrecked, and Keith wished he had a handkerchief. "I don't want to miss your ceremony."

Keith felt his stomach bubble. He wanted to kick himself for letting his crush get the best of him at a time like this. "Shiro, it'll be tapped. We can watch it together," Keith pulled his head away, craning his neck to look up at Shiro, framed by the sky. He'd need a haircut soon, and Keith couldn't help but rub his fingers against the buzzed sides of his hair softly. Keith swallowed before confessing, "I'm going to miss you, Shiro."

Shiro had stopped crying, but his cheeks were pink and his lips were puffy as he said, "I don't want to go without you."

Keith had started to shake his head before Shiro leaned forward to catch his mouth, pressing a kiss hard against Keith's lips. Stunned, Keith couldn't move until Shiro pulled back, and Keith had to grab his shirt to yank him forward again.

Keith felt Shiro smile against his lips, and Keith would have had something sarcastic to say if he wasn't completely overwhelmed by the fact he was kissing Shiro in the tamest way possible - Keith was embarrassed that he yelped when Shiro's hands moved to his sides in order to lift him up onto his lap.

Shiro didn't press Keith any further, and after a moment drew back in order to catch his breath. Keith nuzzled his forehead instinctively against Shiro's, and they stayed like that for an eternity until Keith said, "They'll be video cams, and we'll talk every day."

He didn't expect Shiro to take that so well, but the officer grinned. "So you've thought about it?"

Keith rolled his eyes, smiling. "And you haven't?"

Shiro leaned forward to kiss his shoulder. "I think about you every day. I'll just think about you more while I'm out there."

Keith swallowed thickly, not allowing himself to cry. Not now, especially not in front of Shiro. "Time doesn't matter in space."

Leaning sideways to grab his jacket, Shiro draped it over Keith while sitting on his lap. "It does, because I need to know exactly when I get to come home to you."

 _He looks around and says to me_  
_"There's nowhere else I'd rather be"_  
_And I say, "Me too"_

 _And we talk and take in the view_  
_We just talk and take in the view_  


Days pass, and the mission approaches hours at a time. It'll be months before they're ready to leave, but Shiro has to spend every moment preparing. He stops his tutoring sessions, stops being a TA, and locks up his office on account of business.

Every free minute he has, it's with Keith. Shiro will come in before dinner to take an hour nap with Keith before heading out to a briefing meeting. Shiro will catch Keith between classes and pull him into a closet to kiss him before rushing off again. Shiro will wake Keith up in the morning with a bag of donuts so they can talk before he has to leave for an all-day training simulator.

As much as they've adjusted to this casual intimacy, Keith hates himself for getting so easily pulled into it, especially knowing it has an exact expiration date.

Still, Keith was giddy with the idea that Shiro wanted to stay together even in space. Keith didn't know how long Shiro had liked him, but if it was any indication with how he behaved now, it had been a while. Shiro acted like he had been let loose - he had given Keith a spare key to his office, and they often met there in the middle of the day to relax.

Or make out.

Keith asked Shiro what the security guards would see on the cameras - only Keith and Shiro coming out of the room - but Shiro said he'd had Matt disabled that monitor for ages. And Keith had to admit, it was a little hot that Shiro would take him by the hip if they were walking through the halls, and how he would possessively put an arm around Keith if someone came up to them during lunch. Matt had begun to snort whenever Shiro flipped.

"Shiro, they just want to meet you. You're going to be famous after this," Keith insisted, failing to keep a smile off his face.

Shiro frowned. "I don't know about that."

Matt rolled his eyes. "Yes, you are. And the sooner you're over this honeymoon phase, the better. I'm tired of defending your honor," He waved a fork between the two of them, resting on Keith. "That goes for you too, Kogane. Get your boyfriend to calm down."

Shiro choked on whatever he had just taken a sip of. " _Matt_ ,"

He shrugged, pushing up his glasses. Keith remained quiet, but had a blush stained on his cheeks. _Boyfriend?_ He'd have to bring this up later.

Thankfully, he got the perfect opportunity. At almost midnight, there was a subtle knock on Keith's door. His roommate stirred, but Keith answered it before he could get up.

It was Shiro, of course, fully dressed and dangling a set of keys in front of Keith's face.

Keith crossed his arms, keeping his door open with a foot in case a patrol came by. "What if my roommate had answered?"

Shiro grinned, kissing his forehead. "I would have told him I'm running away with you, and he'd better keep quiet. Go change your clothes, c'mon. I've got something for you.

 _I'm on the ground_  
_My arm goes numb_  
_I look around_  
_And I see him come to get me_  
_He's come to get me_  
_And everything's okay_  


Keith's mouth dropped open, sucking in cold night air once he saw Shiro stand in front of his surprise.

"Surprise," Shiro said, inching towards Keith.

"No way," Keith whispered, nervously laughing. "No _way_ , Shiro."

Shiro flashed a grin before hitting the unlock button on the keyring. Like magic, the vehicle lit up, and Keith could hear the door locks pop. The motorbike was out of Keith's childhood dreams - bright red, sleek center, and polished like a gemstone against a desert backdrop.

"How did you-"

"A present, actually," Shiro admitted, rubbing his head. "My mom thought I could use some fun before the mission."

Keith nodded. He had never met her besides through video chats, but Shiro's mother was always looking out for him.

"I drove it to the launch site this week," Shiro patted the engine cover. "Finally got the hang of it." He looked at Keith, still a distance from the bike. "I could take you out there."

Keith stepped back. "I don't want to go there. Not yet."

Shiro left the vehicle to grab both of Keith's hands in his, touching them to his lips. Keith still refused to cry, not while he still had Shiro. Shiro's voice was soft as ever, guiding Keith into the back seat. "Hey, I have a better place. I know you'll like it."

Keith nodded. He trusted Shiro, and wherever he took him. Keith watched Shiro swing his legs over the car to straddle the seat, and Keith instinctively wrapped his arms around his torso, snuggling close as they would for naps.

"Hold on, baby." He heard Shiro shout, before the revving of the bike echoed loud enough for to wake up the entire Garrison. Keith could feel Shiro's chest shaking with laughter, and he smiled. _Baby_ , he thought. That made his chest hurt in the best way possible.

They were riding so fast that the flat landscape was racing by - Keith moved his head out from Shiro's back long enough to feel the wind whip through his hair, and water his eyes. Keith let himself cry for that moment, happy and sad together. He felt Shiro let out deep breath, and stopped himself from crying further. He was happy now, and he would be as long as he had Shiro.

They started slowing down for a while before Shiro finally parked the craft, braking right where the end of a cliff was visible.

"Isn't this a little more dangerous than the rooftop?" Keith said, elbowing Shiro.

Shiro lifted him out of his seat, grabbing his hand the moment he set him down. "Come here, it's perfect right on the edge."

Keith looked over the canyons, looks down below at the drop, and let his eyes bring him back to Shiro's face. "Shiro, it's beautiful."

Shiro, still holding his hand, tugged him backwards. He let go a moment in order to take off his jacket and spread it on the ground. "Sit here with me."

Ever compliant, Keith joined Shiro beside him until he was pulled on top of him.

Keith kissed him, running his hands through Shiro's tuft of hair, and groaned as Shiro's hands wandered from his back to his hips, dragging him flushed against Shiro's form.

Shiro's eyes looked glazed when Keith pulled back to look at them, and his face was a shade of red Keith didn't know he was capable of becoming. "Keith-"

Keith blinked as Shiro's hands slid under his shirt, carefully peeling it off. Shiro's hands could almost wrap around his torso, and Keith shivered as Shiro continued to run his hands over him.

"Keith, I-," Shiro seemed to get lost whenever he tried to speak, and he sat up instead, pulling off his own shirt, and bringing Keith's hands to his chest.

Keith's hands were pale against Shiro's skin, and he carefully moved them from one place to another, almost feeling a map behind his logic. He rested them on his shoulder bones and spread out his fingers, watching Shiro's hands freeze on his own body as he ran his nails lightly down his chest.

Shiro groaned, pulling Keith back down by his back, to kiss him again. Keith loved the way his skin felt again Shiro's, especially in the brisk air.

Shiro's tongue easily made it into Keith's mouth and he struggled to breathe between his kisses and his hands tugging at his waistband. Keith drew back, and undid his belt, gesturing for Shiro to slide it off. Shiro's pupils were like coins looking up at Keith as he was pinned beneath him, and he grabbed Keith's ass as he yanked the belt out of the loops, throwing it to the side.

Keith moaned as Shiro sat up, running his tongue from Keith's stomach all the way to his neck. The breeze make him shiver at the wet stripe, and Shiro smirked as he took the chance to flip them.

Keith looked up at Shiro, the sky behind him littered with stars for as far as Keith could see. "Wow," Keith sighed as Shiro's hands settled on his waist.

Shiro nuzzled his face into Keith's neck, kissing him until Keith could start to feel a bruise. His eyes rolled back as he pictured the hickey he'd see in the morning, or that others would see. Shiro's mouth would stay on him for days.

"Shiro-" Keith hissed as Shiro bit his ear, and he hated how hard he was getting. They hadn't gone this far before, and Keith didn't know if he could tell himself to stop. Keith mumbled into Shiro's shoulder, poised above him. "Shiro, you're so beautiful. Like the sky."

Shiro looked down at Keith, moving his eyes across his face. "Keith, I love you. You don't have to reply, but I love you, and I can't wait two more years to say it."

Keith fumbled until he managed to find both of Shiro's hands to hold in his. "Shiro, I love you, too. Please be my boyfriend."

Shiro looked like the wind was knocked out of him until Keith let go of his hands, and they flew up to cusp Keith's face, kissing him everywhere.

"We don't have to do anything else, you know." Shiro mumbled after a moment, still carefully above Keith.

Keith nodded, letting his hands trail down to Shiro's belt, playing with the loops. He could see how hard he was and resisted the urge to touch him. Instead, Keith pushed him off of him, and instead moved so that they were side by side.

Moving so that they could hold each other, Keith let Shiro hold him for a moment before he rolled his hips against Shiro's. Hearing a sharp breath, Keith hurried to kiss him before Shiro ask any other questions.

"Just this," Keith whispered, and shifted so that he could guide Shiro's hands on him.

_All we see is sky for forever_  
_We let the world pass by for forever_  
_Feels like we could go on for forever this way, this way_

Keith woke up and checked his watch - they still had hours before it was morning call - and looked at Shiro beside him. Thankfully, both their pants were on, and they hadn't had their legs frozen off, but hunting down their belts in the dark would be another problem. Their shirts were bunched up in a pillow underneath their heads, and Keith tried to quietly shake the wrinkles out, to no avail, before slipping it back on.

Shiro came to a few moments later, dazedly looking from Keith to the sky.

Keith nestled back under Shiro's arm and looked up with him. He almost could hear Shiro think.

_All I need is this. Just you and the sky._

Shiro turned his head to look at him. "What is it?"

Keith shook his head, wondering what that was. "Nothing. I love you."

Shiro exhaled, closing his eyes. "I would do anything to hear that every time I woke up."

 _All we see is light for forever_  
_'Cause the sun shines bright for forever_  
_Like we'll be alright for forever this way_  
_Two friends on a perfect day_  


_I love you._ Shiro heard it a million lightyears away. He would call it a memory, but it was different each time.

_I love you, Shiro. I'll always find you. No matter what corner of the sky I have to search._

**Author's Note:**

> i'm not really one to enjoy DEH but this song literally fits sheith so well // "corner of the sky" is also a showtune i doubt i'll ever use in a fic, but it really fits shiro's character
> 
> tumblr: paladinlion


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